Technology for life

Uber Aims to Go All-Electric in London in 2025

Uber plans for every car on its taxi app in London to be fully electric in 2025 and will add a clean air fee to each trip from early next year, its boss told reporters in the British capital city on Tuesday.

Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who pulled out of a Saudi conference after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, also said the firm would wait for answers about the incident before deciding how that might affect Saudi investment in a stock market flotation.

After reports that Uber was looking into acquiring British food courier Deliveroo, Khosrowshahi said the firm was very happy with its Uber Eats equivalent but is talking to many players around the world.

“Is something going to happen with Deliveroo? Who knows,” he said.

The rapidly-expanding firm is simultaneously trying to appease regulators in key markets such as London, with initiatives such as on environmentally-friendly vehicles, as well as expanding into new areas ahead of a flotation.

After a media report said the firm was seeking minority stakes in its self-driving car business Advanced Technologies Group, Khosrowshahi said:

“It’s going to be part of the family and how the capitalisation looks like is something that we are ultimately open to but it is not an area of focus right now.”

In light of the Khashoggi affair, asked about how Uber might handle Saudi investment as part of its IPO, he said:

“First we want to get the facts and we will make that determination about how we go forward, how we raise money going forward, what our post-IPO board make-up is.”

“All of those are options and again we make conclusions based on all the facts,” he added.